CHARLOTTE | In the early stages of Kemba Walker’s NBA career, it would have been tough to find many around the game who saw the Charlotte point guard as a future All-Star. Steve Clifford was one of the few who believed in Walker’s game.

“Since day one, actually with Coach Cliff, he’s told me that I can be an All-Star in this league and it’s up to me,” Walker said. “The work I put into my game, things like that. Looking at who I am today, [I] got my name called and he was right.”

Walker was watching the All-Star selection show on TNT’s NBA Tip-off in a hotel room Thursday night when his name was called as an Eastern Conference reserve. The Hornets will play the New York Knicks Friday in Madison Square Garden, down the road from The Bronx, where Walker grew up.

He told his friends and his agent not to let him know if they found out any news beforehand, so he said he was nervous during the show. His name was announced second-to-last, after Paul George, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas and John Wall had already been called.

After Walker’s name was announced and the weight was lifted, his Hornets teammates started pouring into the hotel.

“It’s special,” he said. “I’ve worked really hard to try and become a better player each and every year in this league. I know there’s been a lot of doubt about me coming up in this league.”

Walker was the ninth pick in the NBA Draft in 2011, behind another All-Star, Kyrie Irving, at No. 1. The Hornets struggled in his first four years, winning 104 games against 208 losses as Walker shot 39.5 percent from the field.

Last year, he elevated his level of play, averaging 20.9 points per game and leading the Hornets to 48 wins and the postseason. This year, Walker's game took another leap. He continued to improve his shooting, became one of the best pick-and-roll point guards in the league, and increased his scoring average to 23 points per game (seventeenth in the NBA).

He was rewarded by becoming Charlotte’s first All-Star since Gerald Wallace in 2010. The franchise has had nine All-Stars in franchise history, but eight came in an eleven-year span from 1993 to 2002.

“We’ve come a long way from my rookie year, we’ve had some really down years. This accomplishment is special man, to be representing the Hornets in the NBA All-Star game is going to be really fun and cool. I know everyone is excited.”

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